Airship



Nov. 19, 1929. c. H. FREESE AIRSHIP Original Filed ma 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwwmloz Claude H. Freese fi c. H. FREESE Nov. 19, 1929.

AIRSHIP Original Filed May 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ginmmhw Claude H Freese Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFECE CLAUDE H. FREESE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO MARGARET L. HARRINGTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO CARL A. LUNDBERG, OF LONG- BEACH, CALIFORNIA AIRSHIP Application filed May 17, 1926, Serial No. 109,466. Renewed April 13, 1929.

" a gas which materially aids inlifting the Weight of the airship and its load.

An object of the invention is to provide an airship which combines the lifting force of gas and aerofoils.

Another object is to insure against collapse of the airship under adverse weather conditions.

Another object is to provide an airship capable of rising from and descending onto either water or land."

Another object isto provide a construction comprising alon'gitudinally extending shaft or spine which extends axially of the gas containing body, together with arms attached to said spine for suspending the hull from the gas filled body when the ship is in the air, and for supporting the gas filled body from the hull when the ship is resting on the land or water. I

Further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an airship C011? structed in accordance with the provisions of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the lme indicated by 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental longltudinal section of the hollow gas-contalmng body.

Figurefi'is a fragmental plan vlew from the line indicated by 55, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an elevation, partly 1n section, on the line indicated by 66, Figure 5.

There is provided a water-tight hull 7 which is of a construction that will produce strength and lightness, and said hull has a deck 8. The deck 8 is provided with a longitudinally extending opening 9 alonglts longitudinal mid axis and in said opening is a cabin 10 which projects from the hull through said opening and exteriorly of said hull.

There is provided a sectional hollow body. lndicated in general by the character 11 and designed. to hold gas such, for example, as hydrogen gas or helium gas. The heliiim gas w ll preferably be employed because of its non-inflammability. The sectional hollow body is constructed, in thisinstance, as follows: The body comprises a plurality of hollow, gas-tight sections, the intermediate ones being indicated by the character 12, and the end ones at 13, 14. All of the intermediate sections are indicated by the character 12, but it 1s to be understood that they are not necessarily of the same size and shape. The sections are preferably circular in cross-section and thedilferent sections are of diameters that give the body a shape that tapers more or less from the middle portion thereof toward the ends.

The sections ofthe body are arranged at intervals along a spine or shaft, which'comprises fixed tubular members 15 and other tubular members 16, partly telescoped within the members 15. Each member 15 extends from end to end of the section with which it is associated and is welded or otherwise secured at its opposite ends to the end walls of said section, thus providing an axial opening extending through the section. Each member 16 slidably engages the end portions of two of the members 15.

The portions of the members16 intermediate of the body sections pass through bearings 17 on the upper ends of standards 18, which are secured at their lower ends to the roof 19 of the cabin 10, in some instances, and, in other'instances, to the deck 8, according to whether the standards are positioned above the cabin or above the deck at the ends of the cabin.

Also surrounding the portions of the members 16 that are positioned intermediate of the body sections, are collars 19 arranged in pairs, there being a collar adjacent to each end of the bearing 17. Secured at their inner ends to each collar 19, are radially ex-.

predetermined spaced relation. The tie members 21 extend from end to end of the body and are secured to end collars 22 through which the endmost members 16 of the spine project. The sections 12, 13, 14 may be constructed of a relatively light weight metal such, for example, as duralumm.

The body 11 is provided at intervals therealong with aerofoils 23, which are positioned approximately in a horizontal plane that passes through the longitudinal axis of said body. These aerofoils are constructed and positioned to aid in maintaining the airship in the air, when said airship is driven at a predetermined speed. In order to provide for change of altitude of the airship, there are provided a suitable number of adjustably mounted aerofoils 24, which are positioned in pairs, each pair consisting of an aerofoil on each side of the hull 7. In this particular instance, the aerofoils 24 are pivotally supported on the deck 8 and, for this reason, standards 25 are mounted on the deck and are provided at their upper ends with bearings 26, in which are supported the pivots 27 of the aerofoils 24. The aerofoils 24 are normally held aslant upwardly and forwardly by springs 28, which are secured to the deck 8. The springs 28 thus normally hold the aerofoils 24 in position to effect elevation of the airship when said airship is driven forward. In order to deflect the forward ends of the aerofoils 24, the forward ends of the aerofoils of each pair are connected by a rod 29 and secured to each rod 29 is one end of a cable 30 which is wound on a drum 31 on a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is supported in pedestal bearings 33, mounted on the deck 8. The drum 31 is provided with a hand wheel 34. and the other end of the cable is anchored to the deck.

The driving force of the airship is obtained by rotating propellers 35, which are operated by motors 36 mounted on outboard supports 37, which are secured at intervals along opposite sides of the deck 8, and another motor 33 is provided at the bow of the hull and operatesa propeller 39.

The hull 7 is suitably supported, when the ship is on the ground, by wheels 40, so that the airship can be run along the surface of the earth for a distance in landing and in starting on its flight. These wheels are, of course, essential since the ship with its load, is heavier than air and requires the lifting effect of the aerofoils in order to ascend and move above the surface of the earth or water.

Horizontal steering of the airship is efi'ected by a vertical rudder 41 and steering in a vertical plane may be controlled to some degree by a horizontal rudder 42 The mechanism for operating the rudders 41, 42 need not be described in detail herein, as such mechanisms are Well understood in this art.

The construction and operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing, and the operation, in brief, is as follows: Assuming that the hull 7 is at rest on land or water the motors will be started into operation to turn the propellers and the aerofoils 24 will be set at an angle to afford maximum lifting effect. The displacement of the hull 7 is sufiiciently great, when the ship is loaded and resting on the water, so that the ship floats.

Operation of the propellers causes the ship to run along the water or earth with increas ing speed and, when the speed is sufl'iciently great, the lifting effect of the aerofoils will cause the ship tov rise. Oscillation of the body 11 about its longitudinal axis, as may be caused by air pockets and other unstable conditions of the atmosphere, will not be transmitted to the hull, and its contents, as the hull is pivotally suspended from the body 11. Thus, the hull will tend to keep on an even keel transversely of the airship. When the airship has reached the desired altitude, the aerofoils 24 will be adjusted to position to maintain the ship in horizontal flight and when it is desired to descend to a lower altitude, the aerofoils 24 will be operated to point at an angle downwardly and forwardly, thus causing the ship to dive.

I claim:

1. An airship comprising a single hollow sectional gas-tight body constructed about and enclosing a longitudinally extending spine, standards positioned between adjacent sections of the body and having bearings for the spine and extending outside of the body, a hull connected with said standards, and propelling means mounted on the hull.

2. An airship comprising a hollow sectional gas-tight body constructed about a longitudinally extending spine includmg telescoping sections, a hull connected with said spine, and propelling means mounted on the hull.

3. An airship comprising a bed including hollow gas-tight sections provide with tubular openings therethrough, tubular members between the sections extending into the adjacent openings, a hull connected with some of said tubular members, and propelling means mounted on the hull.

4. An airship comprising a body including hollow gas-tight sections provided with tubular openings therethrough, tubular members between the sections extending into the adjacent openings, a hull connected with some. of said tubular-members, members ex tending radially from the tubular members, longitudinally extending tie members connected with the outer ends of the radial members and connected at their opposite ends, and propelling means mounted on the hull.

5. An airship comprising a body including spacedhollow gas-tight sections constructed 

